After having been released on bail, seven of the ten young expats accused of ‘pornographic dancing and producing lewd pictures have now been deported.

According to a Siem Reap court official, seven of the ten young expats arrested after police raided a private party have now been deported after they were released on bail. All deny accusations of producing pornographic pictures, although the charges against the seven deportees have not yet been dropped. Prior to their deportation, a local prosecutor stated the party’s organisers had distributed pornographic images in order to publicise the event.

Five Britons, along with a Norwegian, a Canadian, a Dutch national, a New Zealander and one other person faced 12 months in a Cambodian prison should they be convicted, but the lawyer for the seven successfully pleaded the case that they’d had no part in organising the event, the latest of several held recently. There are no plans as yet to request bail for the three Norwegian, Dutch and British men still incarcerated, nor has a trial date been announced.

All 10 defendants strenuously denied all the allegations, insisting they had not produced pornography, nor had they been nude at the private party, although they admitted to wearing ‘sexy’ outfits. Cambodian police and officials have made much of the accusation that the party was against the culture of Cambodia, especially as it took place near the country’s most famous and sacred temple complex at Angkor Wat. However, the tourist town of Siem Reap is well known for its nightlife, including bars, clubs and other entertainment options common to Southeast Asia.

An original article in the Phnom Penh Post claimed 77 young people, mostly tourists, were arrested and ‘educated’ at the police station before being freed. It also suggested young women in bikinis who were sunbathing by the pool were told by police not to cover up before their photos were taken. Relatives of those involved mentioned bribes being demanded by police, and the so-called ‘pornographic photos’ seemed to be of different, fully clothed persons simulating sex. Although the raid took place during the day, the photos used as evidence of producing pornography were taken after dark.